Media Release

> Sunday, 28 February 2016

Sunday 28 February 2016: Screen Queensland announced at today’s launch of the Australian International Documentary Conference, a new collaboration with ABC TV, presenting ABC iview Queensland Originals: Factual Formats Initiative.

ABC iview Queensland Originals is an initiative that helps Queensland practitioners produce online factual and factual entertainment series to premiere on ABC iview – with the potential to be broadcast on ABC2 – supporting the development and production of up to three digital series.

The program will also take three Queensland producers to MIPTV 2017.

‘We are thrilled to be joining with ABC TV to deliver this exciting new program that focuses on engaging early to mid career Queensland factual producers to produce digital first factual formats capable of entertaining Australian audiences and being sold internationally,’ said Screen Queensland Chair Linda Apelt.

‘ABC iview Queensland Originals forms part of our early career screen program constructed to build meaningful career pathways for these practitioners and those industry seeking to develop and acquire new skills.

‘SQ and ABC TV will invest almost $500,000 in this initiative as we see it delivering real outcomes for those in our industry who work within the factual genre.

‘This is an important program that will highlight our state’s talent and stories in the factual space and give practitioners the opportunity to work with the ABC.’

Richard Finlayson, ABC Director of Television says: ‘ABC TV is serious about breaking new ground in factual storytelling, and we want to help Australian producers create innovative and compelling factual formats that sell to the rest of the world. The ABC aims to spur creative and financial success for Queensland producers in factual storytelling.’

ABC iview Queensland Originals is calling out for Queensland producers to send in ideas for factual formats suitable for production and distribution on the ABC iview platform, and with the potential for sale in the international marketplace.

The series should be targeted at digital audiences aged 18-35, and with broader appeal. The series must have an episodic length of at least five minutes with a minimum total duration of three hours.

Three early to mid career Queensland producers/teams will then have the opportunity to develop a format based, high volume factual series, taking part in a development workshop in May, where they will receive input from an industry executive producer and the ABC factual team.

Each series will receive $7,500 in concept development investment from Screen Queensland.

After the development stage, one project will be selected for production and distribution on the ABC iview platform.

Screen Queensland and the ABC will fund the entire budget of the selected series to a maximum of $450,000.

The two remaining series will be supported to take their formats to market at MIPTV 2017.

ABC iview is Australia’s most popular video on demand service¹, accounting for over 50% of total minutes viewed across the TV Video Players (Seven, Nine, Ten, SBS & Foxtel Go)². ABC iview receives an average monthly 40 million plays. The platform hit a new record in January with 50 million plays for the month³.

ABC iview has become as destination of choice for younger viewers with its diverse offering digital-first content. Titles launching exclusively on iview in 2016 include series 2 of the YouTube hit The Katering Show, edgy comedy DAFUQ?, Indigenous factual series Black As, and the curious entertainment series You Can Ask That.

¹Nielsen Australian Connected Consumers Report, Feb 2015

²OzTAM’s Video Player Measurement (VPM) Report

³WebTrends data

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For further information about Screen Queensland’s funding programs and other incentives, visit www.screenqld.com.au

About Screen Queensland:

Screen Queensland supports a creative, innovative and successful screen industry through development and investment; secures production to Queensland; and delivers an active screen culture across the state. www.screenqld.com.au